Priority cornerback target ready to meet Clemson staff in person

Pride is set to visit Clemson in June.

by Jake Pierce - Recruiting Reporter - Fri May 14 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

One of the priority targets in the 2022 class is set to return to Clemson in mid-June, and this time he will be met in person by the Clemson staff.

The NCAA imposed a dead period on March 13, 2020, prohibiting coaches from having face-to-face contact with recruits due to the COVID-19 restrictions. With the dead period coming to an end on May 31st, Clemson is getting ready to host some of the top talent in the ’22 class and beyond. One of the notable names scheduled to visit will be St. Louis (MO) cornerback Toriano Pride.

Pride’s most recent visit to Clemson was to check out the spring game, with a previous stop earlier this year after a seven-on-seven tournament in Myrtle Beach. Pride has been on plenty of FaceTime and Zoom calls with the Clemson staff, but now he’ll get the chance to truly meet the coaches.

“I’ve been to Clemson like three times, so all of my boxes are checked really,” Pride told TigerNet. “I just look forward to actually meeting coach (Mike) Reed, coach (Brent) Venables, and coach (Dabo) Swinney in-person instead of over the phone. I kind of already know how they move and how their personalities are. I feel like I’ve met them already in-person even though I haven’t. I look forward to going to coach Reed’s house and eating dinner with him. And the biggest thing is actually being in the facility and the pictures. I think that’s the biggest thing I want to get is pictures.”

Pride already has a full slate of visits scheduled, with his stop at Clemson coming June 10-13. Pride will also visit take visits to Ohio State, Missouri, Oregon, and Auburn.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables and corners coach Mike Reed have been the leaders in Pride’s recruitment, and both coaches like the versatility that Pride would bring to the secondary.

“I like how they run their program and I like how they’re family oriented. I really like coach Reed and coach Venables,” Pride said. “They can put me everywhere in the secondary because I’m dynamic. And if I go in and grind, there’s a good chance of playing early.”

What will Pride being looking for on his visits to know which school will be the best fit?

“To be honest, I could say a lot of stuff. But the biggest thing is whoever gives me the best opportunity,” he said. “I know I’ve got to go in and work for it, but I want to play early. I would love to get in the rotation and show what I can do. And if I go in there and do my thing, I hope I can get to play and get a starting spot eventually. And after college, too. Being able to go in and get a degree.”

Pride previously told TigerNet that he planned to commit before August, and that timeline seems to still be in play.

“The visits are going to help. I’m ready to commit. I’m not trimming my list anymore.”

Pride is currently listed as the No. 71 player overall and the No. 10 cornerback in 247Sports recruiting rankings for the ’22 class. Pride has accepted an invitation to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl.